PIDGE ONE SHOTS‼️

THE SPACE BETWEEN US

It was quiet aboard the Castle of Lions. The hum of the ship's engines provided a soft backdrop to the dimly lit corridors. Most of the team had retired for the night, but not you. And, predictably, not Pidge. You found her where she usually was in the late hours—her personal workstation, surrounded by screens and mechanical parts, fingers dancing over the keys in an intricate rhythm.

You stood at the doorway for a moment, leaning against the frame as you watched her. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, her lips moving slightly as she mumbled something to herself about algorithms and frequency modulation. It was her element, this controlled chaos of wires and circuits.

You loved seeing her like this, so completely in her zone, her passion palpable in every movement she made. But tonight, you couldn't help but feel like there was something more in the air. There was an underlying tension that had been growing between the two of you for weeks now, unspoken and lingering in the shared glances, the accidental touches, and the late-night conversations that had grown increasingly intimate.

"Hey, Pidge," you called softly, not wanting to startle her.

She looked up from her work, eyes widening for a second before she broke into a smile. "Oh, hey. I didn't hear you come in. Everything okay?"

You stepped closer, your hand brushing lightly over the back of her chair as you came to stand beside her. "Yeah, everything's fine. Just couldn't sleep. Thought I'd check in on you."

Pidge chuckled lightly, pushing her glasses up her nose, a habit you'd noticed when she was nervous or focused. "Well, you know me. I'll sleep when I've solved this frequency calibration problem. Which, by the way, is giving me way more trouble than it should."

"Want some help?" you offered, pulling up a chair beside her. Even if you didn't understand half of what she was working on, you liked being there with her, offering whatever support you could. Pidge had a way of making even the most complex problems seem like puzzles just waiting to be solved, and she loved explaining them in a way that always fascinated you.

She shook her head, her smile soft. "Nah, this one's all mine. But... I wouldn't mind the company."

There it was again—that hint of something more. You could see it in her eyes, feel it in the way her knee brushed against yours when you sat down, the warmth of her skin sending a small jolt through you. It was subtle, but unmistakable. And it wasn't just tonight.

For weeks now, there had been this growing connection between you, something neither of you had spoken out loud but was present in every lingering glance and quiet moment spent together. You wondered if she felt it too, if she was just waiting for one of you to make the first move.

"So, what's on your mind?" she asked, turning her chair to face you. "You've got that look."

You blinked, caught off guard by her sudden shift in focus. "What look?"

"The look that says you're thinking too much," Pidge teased, her eyes twinkling with that familiar sharpness. But there was softness there too, a vulnerability she rarely let show. "Come on, spill. I'm the genius here. I can tell when something's up."

You hesitated, feeling the weight of the unspoken words between you. You could keep dancing around it, pretending that everything was normal, or you could finally be honest about what had been building between you two for so long.

"Pidge," you began, your voice a little quieter now, "have you noticed... I mean, lately, things have felt different. Between us."

Her eyes widened slightly, and you saw the flash of recognition there, the way her expression shifted ever so subtly. She knew. She'd been feeling it too. But she didn't say anything right away, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her jacket as she looked down for a moment.

"Yeah," she finally admitted, her voice almost a whisper. "I've noticed."

Your heart thudded in your chest as you waited, watching her carefully, not wanting to push her too hard but needing to know where she stood.

"I just..." Pidge started, then stopped, letting out a small, nervous laugh. "I didn't know how to bring it up. I wasn't sure if I was imagining things, or if you—if you felt the same."

She looked up at you then, her green eyes searching yours, and you saw it there—the uncertainty, the vulnerability she kept hidden behind layers of confidence and intellect. But underneath it all, she was just as unsure as you were, just as scared of what might happen if you crossed that line.

You reached out slowly, your hand hovering just above hers before finally resting it gently on top. The touch was simple, but it felt like so much more in that moment, the quiet electricity between you sparking to life.

"I do feel the same," you said softly, watching the way her breath hitched, her fingers curling slightly under yours. "I've been feeling it for a while now."

Pidge didn't pull away, her hand warm beneath yours, her eyes wide with something that looked like relief mixed with a tentative kind of hope. "You do?"

You nodded, your heart racing as the words tumbled out of you, words you'd been holding back for what felt like forever. "Yeah, I do. I don't know exactly when it started, but I know that being with you, it just feels... right. Like this connection we have, it's not just friendship anymore. It's more than that."

Pidge was silent for a moment, her eyes searching yours as if trying to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Then, slowly, she smiled—a small, tentative smile at first, but it grew into something brighter, something more confident as she squeezed your hand.

"I was so scared to say anything," she admitted, her voice still quiet but steady now. "I didn't want to mess things up. I'm not exactly the best at... this kind of stuff. You know, feelings."

You smiled back at her, your heart swelling with affection for the girl sitting in front of you. "It's okay. I'm not exactly an expert either. But we'll figure it out, together."

Pidge let out a soft laugh, her shoulders relaxing as the tension between you finally broke. "Yeah," she said, her voice lighter now, "together."

There was a beat of silence, the kind that felt comfortable, the air between you charged with something new and exciting. You could feel the shift, the way everything between you had changed in just a few words, and it felt right. Natural, even.

Slowly, you leaned in, testing the waters, and Pidge met you halfway, her breath soft against your lips as your foreheads rested against each other. The moment stretched, your hearts beating in sync, before she finally closed the distance, her lips brushing against yours in a soft, tentative kiss.

It was gentle at first, a quiet meeting of lips and breath, but it deepened quickly, both of you giving in to the months of pent-up feelings. Her hands found their way to your shoulders, gripping tightly as if she were afraid to let go, while your fingers threaded through her hair, pulling her closer.

The kiss was electric, charged with all the emotions you'd both been holding back for so long. It wasn't perfect, but it was real, and it was yours.

When you finally pulled back, breathless, Pidge looked up at you with wide, shining eyes, her cheeks flushed, and her lips slightly swollen from the kiss.

"So," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "I guess we're doing this, huh?"

You chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I guess we are."

Pidge grinned, that familiar spark of determination lighting up her face. "Good. Because I'm all in if you are."

You smiled, feeling a sense of warmth and certainty wash over you. "I'm all in, too."

And in that moment, sitting there in the dimly lit workshop, surrounded by wires and screens and the soft hum of the Castle, you knew that this was just the beginning—of something deeper, something real, something that was entirely yours.

And you couldn't wait to see where it would take you both.